Time passed. Kiera was in and out of consciousness. Whenever she was conscious, she’d think of the dog that attacked her and panic. She would try to get up or scream but soothing hands would push her back down on the soft and warm surface (a bed?) and she’d feel automatically safe. She could never see anyone but her mind was filling in the gaps. It was on the fifth day that she woke up without feeling lightheaded. She didn’t know it was the fifth day but she was aware that she spent a long time resting. It was all she knew. She remembered everything that happened before the dog attacked her. Mikael. His strange confession. The machete. Everything. What she still didn’t know was why he decided to do such a thing to her. She looked around. She was in her bedroom. Home. She was glad to be home but her fear hadn’t left her. She looked down at her body but saw nothing because she was covered by her blanket. She tried moving her legs and felt pain shoot down to her ankle. She stopped mov
Kiera looked at Kane for a long time. She was waiting for him to tell her that he was kidding and they’d move on with the serious matter that they were discussing. His joke was tasteless and the timing was far from appropriate. She looked at Simone and saw that she didn’t react the way she would expect her to. Nobody said anything. Kane was looking at her as like he expected her to freak out. She finally said, “What the hell is this?”“I know this is hard for you to grasp,” he said slowly, as if he was talking to a child. “I’m going to try to explain this to you in the only way that I can.”Kiera ignored him and looked at Simone. “Simone.”She looked at her and then lowered her head. Firmly, she said, “This is for the best, Kiera. You’re confused now but you’ll understand by the time he’s finished. Listen closely and with an open mind.”Kiera scoffed. “He just said that none of us are human. What’s there to keep an open mind about? We’re talking about Mikael being a psycho here, for
"What about her?" Kiera asked.Kane and Simone exchanged another look and Kiera swore that she almost lost it. She shouted, "Tell me what it is about her! Tell me! I'm tired of the mystery and the riddles. Speak plainly!"Kane looked at her and said nothing. She groaned and stared at her lap. She screwed her eyes shut and ground her teeth together. Simone was rubbing her leg and Kiera had to admit that her touch calmed her despite the perplexing and nonsensical situation. She decided that she wouldn't ask any more questions. She wouldn't force Kane to speak. If he wanted to leave her in the dark she would gladly stay there. "Kane," his mother urged. "Let's get this done and over with. You already told her nearly everything."Kiera kept true to the promise she made herself and didn't encourage him. She was arranging the bits and pieces of the conversation they had so far in her head. Werewolves? It was hard to believe. It was unimaginable, actually. She tried to see Kane transforming
Kane’s decision to move her as quickly as possible had to be changed. Kiera was still recovering from the injury on her ankle. It turned out not being as bad as they thought it was. She would have to stay off her leg for some weeks but after that, it would be as good as new. They would have to clean the wound to prevent it from infection like any normal injury but other than that, she was alright. She got lucky. They were making preparations to leave, though, so as soon as they packed everything, they would go. Kane didn’t want to leave any of her father’s ‘souvenirs’ behind. He was more attached to them than Kiera would ever be. Now that she knew why her father stayed in holed up in his office for so many hours just observing the artifacts, she couldn’t look at them the same way again. It was twisted and sick, though she didn’t say the words out loud. There was no point in speaking her mind. Simone and Kane would disagree with her. They didn’t think there was anything wrong with hi
Kiera looked around at the office she had been in a million times. Perhaps even more. It looked different. She couldn't describe the changes as nothing had been moved, not that she could tell. But the room looked different somehow. Vacant. The light green walls looked greener than usual. The desk and swivel chair looked ordinary. The floor made a sound when she walked. She hadn't noticed that before. It was the little things. Even the numerous artifacts lining the shelves looked ordinary. They stared back at her with judgmental metaphorical eyes. She could only swallow and look away. Kane said, "Now you know the truth."The truth. It felt more like a tall tale, a sinister one. Yes, she had seen with her own eyes what Kane had become right in front of her. A beast. A clawed animal, just like that. Then he melted into his human body. It was all so natural that she couldn't find it alien when she saw him transform. It was strange to describe. She sometimes caught herself wondering if
The move was easier than Kiera thought it would be.It also helped that Simone was taking care of the whole thing with Kane's assurance. Because she was still debilitated, everything was done for her. They wanted her to make a full recovery and avoid unnecessary strains and injuries. She didn't mind helping. In fact, she would have preferred to help. But those two were always protective over her. There was no fighting them when they made a decision. Kiera couldn't say that the move wasn't exactly what she needed to clear her head. She had barely left the house and already felt better. The change of scenery would do her good. She didn't know how toxic her environment was until she left. It was poisoning her slowly. She was losing herself back there. Being in a place where she knew Mikael wasn't around and couldn't find her was helping her establish a clear understanding in her mind. He was a toxic asshole who shouldn't have included her in his revenge plot. She had nothing to do with
Only her happiness didn't last. The trip was great for the first two weeks. She criticized herself for not thinking about doing something similar sooner. If she had, after her break up with Jared to be precise, she wouldn't have met Mikael and none of this would be happening. But even as the thought raced through her mind, she knew it was an irrational one. Mikael would have followed her anywhere, even here. Maybe he would have lied about being a neighbor. She would have believed him because at the time, she wanted to be fooled. She wanted to feel desirable so that she could forget Jared's cold words and actions. To have a man as handsome as Mikael Samson love her was everything. Only now that she knew it was all a lie did she wake up. She didn't forget about him during the two weeks, though. She constantly thought about him and why he let her go when he had prepared everything to kill her. It could be that it had all been a strategy to get Celia or someone else—the other woman—to
There was a knock on the door. Simone jumped up so quickly and swiftly that Kiera almost dropped her cup of coffee on her lap. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Simone, what is it? Who is that?"She didn't answer her. Frankly, it felt like she wasn't even listening. Kiera only had a few beats to wonder who it was at the door. She would have never guessed that it was in fact Kane. She was shocked for two seconds before she got up and walked toward them. He wrapped an arm around his mother's shoulders, not in greeting but for support. "Kane?" Kiera said aloud. She couldn't recognize her own voice. He was limping, she saw. She noticed as soon as she got close to him that his pants were torn and covered in dried blood. He made eye contact with her but said nothing. She felt terrible. Her heart weighed in her chest and she felt useless. Simone was practically carrying him into her bedroom and all she could do was follow mutely. He was hurt. Kane was hurt. It couldn't mean something good
Kiera sat back in her chair and sighed. The sun was warm, a little too warm, but the one thing she loved about the sun was how it had the capacity of making her forget the cold days. It was almost as if the horrors she endured never even happened. The only reminder that they did was the empty space in her heart that belonged to Kane, and that would forever remain vacant. It took her a long time to feel normal again, even after finding out that Simone and Mikael hadn’t died that day. It was all a big shock to her, and although she had every reason to feel normal, she didn’t. She couldn’t get the image of Celia’s body out of her mind, and it was strange that that was the scene that haunted her the most, apart from the two of them cutting her neck with a knife and leaving behind a scar that she would bear forever. With Simone and Mikael’s help, though, she began feeling better. Leaving town helped. In fact, the change of atmosphere and the drastic improvement of the weather was enough
The hours passed. Kiera was growing more uncomfortable than ever. She didn't know what they wanted from her, not anymore. At first, she thought that they were going to kill her. Now, it felt like they wanted to torture her with the sight of Celia. He kept insisting that it was her fault that the whole thing happened. He didn't do much apart from repeating the same words over and over again. It was torturous. They sky was getting much darker, and soon, she wouldn't be able to see. The sky was moonless and heavy with clouds. The rain stopped, but the night was cool. She knew it would rain again. She could smell it in the air. What were they waiting for?What did they want from her? It was harder not knowing what would happen, she realized that now. If they had told her what the intended to do with her—explicitly—she would know what to expect. But it seemed like they were all crazy. She was surprised that two men managed to cause so much damage. Celia hadn't lifted a finger. She cou
Kiera was in the dark for a long time.Her eyes were hot and heavy with tears. It was bizarre how much things had changed in the space of five minutes. One minute, they were all there; alive and well. The other, they were gone. Simone was gone. She didn't know what happened to her, or where they took the car. She should have acted quicker when she found the man in the shop suspicious. Her own inability to act condemned her. She should have checked Mikael to see if he was alive. She shouldn't have panicked the way she did. Now, it was too late. She didn't know what to think anymore. She was being driven to a place far away without anyone around her that could possibly save her. She thought about it, but her thoughts were as hollow as her. She couldn't hold onto them and attach importance to them. They were just flowing through her like water. She would be at their mercy, and she didn't even know who they were. She suspected that it had to do with the pack Simone destroyed, the DarkWa
It was time to go. They left the next day. Simone was far from recovered, but she insisted that they didn’t have much time left. They had to go. Kiera packed what she could with Mikael’s help, and it was harder to say goodbye to the house she grew up in. She didn’t know how long she would be gone for, but it was unlikely that she would be back anytime soon. The house had traces of Kane wherever she looked, and that was the hardest part. It felt like she was leaving a part of him behind. She didn’t know if Simone felt the same way. If she did, she didn’t show. Her determination to leave overpowered everything else. She looked around, at the pictures and paintings on the wall, and the holes that he made the other night when he put the boards up that were never filled. Her father’s office was impossible to look at. It was no longer her father’s, not in her heart. It belonged to Kane. There was nothing that she could bring with her that would fill the hole of leaving everything behind.
Simone was discharged in the morning, as she expected. A large potion the forest had caught fire. It was all over the news, and all everyone talked about. Kiera felt bad. Of course, she did. They were responsible for the forest fire, which claimed a few innocent lives of the people trying to put it out. To know that they were the ones who caused the whole mess was disheartening, and her heart weighed with guilt. There was a small chance that Celia had escaped. They couldn’t be sure about the others. Mikael mentioned that there was no chance that she escaped, and that was a relief for Kiera. She was finally out of their lives, and the worst was behind them. Having Simone and Mikael in the same house was strange. They hadn’t talked to each other when Kiera first brought her, and that was the part that made her grind her teeth. She didn’t know what she thought would happen but the silence was unsettling. They didn’t have to talk, and even if they did, what would they say to each other
They got out safely. All three of them. Simone was hurt, though. Celia had managed to scratch her with her talons before they got out. She was bleeding heavily, so Kiera drove her to the nearest hospital as soon as they reached the car. Mikael was collapsed beside her, but he wasn’t hurt. He was so weak he could barely sit up. Behind them, the fire raged. Simone would be alright. She had been injured and needed stitches and bed rest. Mikael refused to go to the hospital. He insisted that all he needed was a decent meal and some sleep, far away from a hospital. He didn’t have documents, so he couldn’t even be admitted in one. So, once Kiera was sure that Simone would be safe, she drove him to their house. They didn’t speak to each other. There was nothing to say for the time being. Kiera had a lot on her mind. She wanted to fetch Simone as soon as she could. The next morning, preferably. The hospital was too close to the pack house. She wasn’t all that safe there. Once they reache
"Mikael, is that you?" Kiera said. He was silent for a few seconds, and then he answered, "It's me."The first thing she noticed was how weak he sounded, and then she concluded why. He was hanging from the roof. She suddenly remembered what she had been told about him. He would be killed for trying to protect her, and he was being kept as a prisoner and awaited execution in the home of some werewolves. These guys. She never thought about it. It slipped from her mind completely. Her first instinct was to rush to him to help him. He had to get down, that wasn't up for debate. In the dark, she was practically blind. Even if there was a light switch in the barn, they couldn't use it. They would grab unwanted attention. She would have to work in the dark. "What do I do?" she asked him. "Cut me loose.""Simone, I need a knife," she said, trying to reach the rope above his head. She couldn't reach for it even when she stood on the tips of her toes. It was making her desperate. "I'll do
The day went by slowly, too slowly. Kiera was stiff from having to sit in the car for so many hours. Simone was adamant. She didn't want to leave, and Kiera wouldn't waste her time in trying to convince her to leave the front of the building. They were running out of time, and they didn't have a better plan. So they were forced to stay. When the day was over, Kiera could hardly move. Her anxiety was making matters worse, but she managed to sit up when people started trickling out of the building. Their eyes were wide and searching every face that walked out. They were looking for the man responsible for Kane's death. They couldn't lose him, or all their efforts would have been for nothing. That was worse to Kiera than having to fight the man. "There," Simone said, breaking the silence. It was the first word that she said in hours. Her voice was surprisingly clear.He began crossing the street, and in a few steps, he would disappear around the bend. Where was he going? They had to k
Simone was thoughtful for the rest of the day. Kiera had no choice but to wait for what she was going to say. A decision had to be made, and quickly, or they'd lose their advantage. News about the dead werewolf would spread soon, and then they'd all know that Simone was after the wolves who had been involved in Kane's death. If that happened, they would go into hiding, and finding them would be a lot more difficult. Simone remained silent, so Kiera couldn't do anything else but wait. Long periods of silence made her think about Kane all of the time. She didn’t know what else to do. The current situation was impeding her from doing anything else, and it was hard to imagine that a few months prior, she was concerned about not finishing her work. She forgot all about being an editor. If they placed a manuscript in front of her, she wouldn’t know what to do. But she wasn’t the only one who changed drastically. She couldn’t recognize Simone on most days. The sweet but tough woman was r